Receptacles



r h 3, 1956 c. A. BARATELLI 2,738,054

RECEPTACLES Filed March 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR CHARLES A- BARATELH ATTORNEY March 3, 1956 c. A. BARATELLI 2,738,054

RECEPTACLES Filed March 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTOR CH ARLES A. BARATELLI ATT OR E51 United States Patent RECEPTACLES Charles A. Baratelli, Southbridge, Mass., assignor to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass., 3 voluntary association of Massachusetts Application March 17, 1953, Serial No. 342,784

6 Claims. (Cl. 206--) This invention relates to improvements in receptacles and has particular reference to an improved construction of spectacle case and method of making the same.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a case of the above character and method of making the same having a main pocket portion defined by spaced front and rear walls of relatively stiff material joined with each other along the ends and bottom thereof, a liner member of flexible material secured to the inner surface of at least one of the walls of saidpocket portion and having a part thereof extending outwardly to define a flap which may be folded over the other wall, and means for detachably securing said flap to said wall.

Another object is to provide a case of the above character and method of making same whereby the main pocket portions and flaps are formed of materials of different surface textures, contour configurations and colors to enable similar or contrasting decorative effects to be obtained.

Another object is to provide novel spacer means and method of making the same for retaining the front and rear walls of the main pocket portion in proper spaced relation with each other and with little or no deformation of the surface shapes of said walls.

Another object is to provide a receptacle or spectacle case of the above character and method of making the same wherein the liner may be made to overlie and be secured to both the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls of the pocket portion with a part thereof extending outwardly and to define a flap portion which may be folded to form a closure for said receptacle or case.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and it will be apparent that many changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement of parts and method shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction, arrangement of parts and method shown and described, as the preferred forms only have been given by way of illustration.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the receptacle or spectacle case embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken as on line 2-2 of Fig. l and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken as on line 33 of Fig. l and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; I

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank of flexible material which defines the liner and flap of the receptacle or spectacle case embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on line 55 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

2,738,054 Patented Mar. 13, 1956 Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a view generally similar to Fig. 4 of a further modification of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a view generally similar to Fig. 6 of a still further modification of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a view generally similar to Fig. 3 taken as on line 9-9 of Fig. 6 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings where like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, the receptacle or case embodying the invention comprises a main pocket portion 10 formed by injection molding plastic or other similar material to form an integrally related front wall 11, a rear wall 12, end walls 13 and a bottom 14. The main pocket portion is preferably in the form of a shallow cup having its front wall limited in height so as to enable the temples to be folded forwardly when the spectacle is positioned in the case. The said pocket portion is provided inwardly with a pair of spacer members 15 of plastic or other similar material having their contour edges shaped to the inner contour shape of the pocket portion and secured therein by suitable cement or adhesive. The said spacer members 15, as shown in Fig. 2, are formed relatively thin and are secured in the pocket portion in spaced relation with each other and on the opposed sides of an opening 16 extending through the front wall 11 of the pocket portion to avoid having said space members cause the front and rear walls to become distorted and also to permit gaining access to said opening.

The liner portion 17 and flap 18, as shown in Fig. 4, are preferably blanked in integral relation with each other, and openings 19 and 20 and a pair of spaced slots 21 are simultaneously formed therein. The liner portion 17 and flap 18 may be of a single layer of leather or other suitable material, or may be formed of laminated material such as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. In this instance the outer layer 22 may be leather, vinyl, woven fabrics or other suitable material and the inner layer 23 may be of thin leather, suede, silk, brocade or any desired soft material or may be flocked to provide a suitable liner. The layers 22 and 23 are preferably cemented together throughout their contiguous surfaces as indicated at 24.

The liner portion 17 is placed within the pocket portion and is secured therein by a layer of cement or other suitable adhesive 25 or may, in addition to the use of cement, be stitched to the pocket portion, as indicated at 26 in Fig. 8, or secured thereto by rivets or the like 27, as shown in Figs. 6 and 9.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 through 5 the liner, when placed in joined relation with said pocket portion by the coating of adhesive or cement 25, has its slotted portions 21 fitted about the spacer members 15, that is, the spacer members 15 extend through said slotted portions to permit the liner to be intimately fitted with the inner surface of the pocket. 1 a

The male portion of a snap fastener is extended through the aligned openings 20 and 16 and is headed over, as illustrated at 28, to secure it to the pocket.

. This headed over portion further functions as securing spaced relation thereof further enables gaining access to the inner end of the male portion of the snap fastener in heading over said end as shown at 28 in Fig. 2. The female portion 29 of the snap fastener is secured in the opening 19 in the flap 18 in the conventional manner.

To prevent separation of the outer and inner layers 22 and 23 of the liner and flap material, the contour edges thereof are provided with stitchings 30, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. These stitchings are made prior to placing the liner and flap in assembled relation with the pocket portion.

It is pointed out that the liner, as shown in the construction of Fig. 3, overlies the inner surfaces of both the back and front walls of the pocket portion. However, the .liner may be formed so as to overlie only the inner surface of the rear wall of the pocket portion, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. This arrangement is practical because, in use, the spectacles when placed in the pocket portion of the case always have their lenses disposed in a rearward direction with the temples folded to partially overlie the front wall of the pocket, whereby the flap 18 may be folded and secured in overlying relation with the temples to retain the spectacles in said case.

In Figs. 6 and 9 the upper edge of the rear wall of the pocket portion 10 is secured at spaced intervals to the liner 18 by rivets or the like 27 having their outer ends formed with decorative designs or configurations. As stated above, instead of the rivets, stitchings such as 26 may be employed. In each instance, however, at least the lower inner portion of the liner is cemented to the inner surface of the rear wall of the pocket, as is shown at 31, Fig. 9.

Due to the fact that the pocket portions 10 are preferably injection molded of plastic or similar material and that the combined liner portions and flaps are formed separately of said pocket, similar or different combinations of colors, different decorative treatments, different contour configurations or surface textures may be employed. All one needs to do when assembling the liner and flap with the pocket portion is select design characters desired.

The pocket portion and combined liner and flap portion may be formed separately by a single operation and the resultant case may be produced relatively quickly and inexpensively.

Due to the fact that the pocket portion is formed of relatively rigid plastic material it affords maximum protection for the spectacles with extreme lightness in weight.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple, inexpensive and novel means and method have been provided for accomplishing all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A spectacle case of the character described comprising a main pocket portion defined by relatively long and narrow front and rear walls of relatively stiff plastic material integrally joined in spaced relation with each other along the ends and bottom thereof to provide a receptacle having an open mouth, a separate member of flexible material different from the pocket having a liner part overlying the inner surface of one of said walls with the exposed surface thereof having a relatively soft texture and having a further part thereof extending outwardly to define a flap which may be folded over said open mouth and in overlying relation with the other wall, means for securing said liner part of the separate member to the inner surface of the adjacent wall of the pocket portion and means for securing the flap part of said separate member in overlying relation with the other of said walls of the pocket portion.

2. A spectacle case of the character described comprising a main relatively long and narrow pocket portion formed of relatively rigid shape retaining material having integrally related front, rear, end and bottom wall portions and an open mouth, a combined liner portion and flap integrally formed of flexible sheet material different from the pocket, said liner portion being secured in superimposed relation with the inner surface of the rear wall portion with the exposed surface thereof having a relatively soft texture, the flap extending outwardly therefrom over the open mouth and into superimposed relation with the front wall portion and means for detachably connecting'the flap in said superimposed relation with said front wall portion.

3. A spectacle case of the character described comprising a main pocket portion formed of relatively stiff shape retaining material having relatively long and narrow spaced front and rear wall portions integrally joined along the sides and bottom, means for retaining said wall portions in said spaced relation, a liner member shaped to overlie at least one of the inner surfaces of the said wall portions with a part thereof recessed to receive said means for retaining said wall portions in said spaced relation, said liner member having an exposed inner surface of a relatively soft texture and having a part thereof extending outwardly from its overlying relation with the inner surface of one wall portion to define a flap which may be folded to overlie the other wall portion, and means for securing said flap to said other wall portion.

4. The method of forming a case for spectacles comprising injection molding in a single operation a relatively long and narrow pocket portion of rigid self-shape retaining plastic material having relatively long and narrow spaced front and rear walls integrally joined along curved edges throughout the sides and bottom thereof and with relatively thin spacer means having the lower and side edges thereof integrally joined with the inner side surfaces of the walls intermediate the ends thereof for retaining said front and rear walls in spaced relation with each other, blanking flexible sheet material different from that of the pocket portion and having an inner surface of relatively soft texture to a controlled contour size and shape to produce a liner portion of a shape to fit in overlying relation with the inner surface of the rear wall of said pocket portion and with a recess therein for straddling the spacer means and to have an integrally related flap portion of a controlled size and shape to extend outwardly of said pocket portion an amount to enable the said flap to be folded with a portion thereof overlying the outer side surface of the front wall, securing said liner to said rear wall with the recess straddling the spacer means and with the surface of relatively soft texture exposed inwardly of the pocket portion and providing said portion of the flap overlying the outer surface of the front wall and said front wall with detachable interconnection means.

5. A case for spectacles comprising a main pocket portion formed of relatively rigid shape-retaining material having spaced front and rear walls so joined with each other as to produce an open mouth through which the spectacles may be inserted into and removed from said pocket portion, and a separate flexible member of material different from the material of the pocket having a part .overlying the inner surface of the wall of the pocket which would be engaged by a side surface of the lenses of the spectacles when said spectacles are positioned in the pocket, said flexible material having an inner surface with non-scratching characteristics thereby providing means for protecting said lens surfaces, said part being secured to said pocket portion, and said flexible member having a further part which extends outwardly from said wall and which is folded over said open mouth and over the outer surface of the other wall and means for detachably connecting said part to said other'wall.

6. A case of the character described comprising a main pocket portion of relatively rigid plastic material embodying spaced relatively long and narrow front and rear wall portions joined throughout their sides and bottom by integrally curved wall portions, said pocket portion having spacer means inwardly of the intermediate portion thereof for retaining the intermediate portions of said front and rear walls in spaced relation with each other, a separate member embodying a combined liner portion and flap integrally formed of flexible sheet material difierent from the material of said pocket portion, said liner portion extending inwardly of the pocket portion in overlying relation with the inner surface of the rear wall, said inwardly extending portion being recessed to straddle said spacer means and being so related with said pocket portion that the flap extends outwardly beyond the upper edge of the rear wall portion, said wall portion and said separate member having means extending therethrough to secure said member and said wall together, said flap extending outwardly to a fold which curves sidewise and terminates in an inwardly extending end overlying the front surface of said front wall portion and means carried by said front wall portion 6 and said overlying portion of the flap for securing said flap to said front wall portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,250,636 Jerry July 29, 1941 2,423,338 Nathan July 1, 1947 2,430,240 Nathan Nov. 4, 1947 2,549,985 Normington Apr. 24, 1951 2,568,884 Ciaio Sept. 25, 1951 2,622,052 Chandler Dec. 16, 1952 2,662,637 Armbruster Dec. 15, 1953 

